Edgar Black married Bessie Allan Pitt from PEI, and they resided in Springhill, NS. Bessie already had children named Allan Pitt and Mona Pitt. Together they had Martha Bell Black, Charles Rane (aka Charles Thomas) Black, George Black, and Ruby Black who died at age 22. Charles Rane Black, born November 7, 1905 served in WWII overseas. After the war, he settled in London, Ontario and married Wreatha (Brown) Winter. He adopted her son Daniel Reginald Winter, b: 1944, and they had Raymond Allan Black, b: 1948; James Richard Black, b: 1950; Catherine Elizabeth Black, b: 1952, and Janice Louise Black, b: 1962. Charles passed February 26, 1993 and is buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Gardens, London, Ontario.

Charles Rane's son James Richard Black, married Donna and had Sherry Leigh Black, b: 1967. He then married Ronna Laye in 1980 and had James William Black, b: 1982; and Jodie Renee Black, b: 1984 in London, Ontario.

November 11, 2007Excerpts from"Historical Record of the Posterity of William Black"by Cyrus Black (1811 - 1900)

WILLIAM FREEZE BLACK was the second son of Thomas Stocks Black. He settled on a portion of his father's farm, which he left to his two youngest sons. He was for many of the last years of his life a deacon of the Baptist Church at Amherst. He was married twice,--first to Sophia Travis, of Amherst, daughter of Nathaniel Travis. They had four daughters. His second wife was Matilda Anderson, of Coles Island, New Brunswick (daughter of Thomas Anderson) who had five sons and a daughter.

The names of the children of W. [William] F. [Freeze] Black's first wife [Sophia Travis] are Susanna, Elizabeth, Mary Deborah, and Sophia. Those of the second wife [Matilda Anderson] were named Thomas Anderson [Black], Gaius Lewis [Black], Cyrus [Black], Titus Ansley [Black], Hilbert [Black], and Augusta [Black].

[James A. Elliott, of Pugwash, who is a Justice of the Peace, and a County Councillor. He is engaged in mercantile pursuits at Pugwash. He married Sophia, the fourth daughter of William F. Black.]

Thomas A. [Anderson] Black, the eldest son of William F. Black, and the eldest child of his second wife [Matilda Anderson], lives at Hastings. He married Martha Elliott, sister of the above J. A. Elliott. They had seven children, named Clara [Black], Charles Freeze [Black], Judson [Black], Edgar [Black], Laura [Black], Alfred Loring W. [Black], and Ruby W [Black]. The two youngest died in 1881.

Clara [Black], the eldest daughter, was married to Edwin McCullum, of Hastings, where they live.

November 11, 2007Excerpts from"Historical Record of the Posterity of William Black"by Cyrus Black (1811 - 1900)

Thomas Stocks Black was born in England and came with his father to America. At that time he was the youngest and fourth son of the first mentioned William Black. The maiden name of the wife of Thomas S. Black was Mary Freeze, whose father also came from England.

It has been previously noticed that, four years after their arrival in Cumberland, there was a religious excitement in which the family experienced a change of principles. At that time William 2nd, at a prayer meeting, became very joyful in religion. After going home at midnight he conversed with his brother Richard, and they kneeled beside the bed and prayed. John and Thomas S. [Black] hearing from their bed, joined them, and at that time Thomas S. [Black] declared that his sins were blotted out.

About the year 1806 the views of Thomas S. Black in regard to baptism were changed and he united with the Baptist Church at Amherst. Soon after this he was set apart as deacon, which office he continued to fill to the close of his life, in the year 1850, aged 84 years.

Mrs. Black [Mary (nee Freeze)], his wife, died in 1842, aged 66 years.

November 11, 2007Excerpts from"Historical Record of the Posterity of William Black"by Cyrus Black (1811 - 1900)

William Black was born in Paisley, Scotland, in the year 1727.

His father was a public officer, and possessed an independent fortune. His leisure was largely employed in the chase, and he kept a good pack of hounds. Until William was twenty-one years of age he had turned his attention to little else than the recreation of following the hounds. Soon after this he engaged as travelling salesman for a large manufacturing concern. In one of his tours he met an English lady in Huddersfield, England--Elizabeth Stocks--whom he married. About the same time he engaged in the linen and woollen drapery business.

Mrs. Black, as well as her husband, moved in the higher circles of fashion and refinement. She was accustomed to follow the hounds. When she came to Nova Scotia, she brought the scarlet riding habit and the cap she used to wear when engaged in the chase; also, dresses of embroidered white satin and other rich and costly materials for which she found but little use in the new country.

A few years after his marriage William Black's mind was drawn toward Nova Scotia, as a most desirable country.

Mr. Black (then of Huddersfield, England) after some careful reflection respecting a removal to America, prudently concluded to see the country before removing his family thither. In accordance with these views he reached Halifax May, 1774, thence came to Cumberland. Here he saw those who had emigrated from New England residing at Amherst, where he purchased an estate, a part of which are the farms now owned by Mr. George Black, his sons, and Mr. Rupert Black. William Black returned to England in the autumn of 1774 and in the following April chartered a vessel in which he brought his family, consisting of his wife, four sons, and a daughter. He also brought a nurse girl who married a son of one of the emigrants. He also brought some stock of improved breeds. He was detained at Halifax two weeks when he again embarked for Cumberland. Mrs. Black received some injuries in getting on board the vessel at Hull which are supposed to have hastened her death, which took place about a year after her arrival in America. She was highly esteemed as possessed of an elevated mind and many christian virtues. Their eldest son, John, was sixteen years old when they arrived at their new home in America.

The names of the children of William and Elizabeth Black [his first wife, nee Stocks], who came with their parents from England, are John [Black], William [Black], Richard [Black], Thomas Stocks [Black], and Sarah [Black].

I am coming to Springhill August 13/04 to look for my family history. My father, Charles Rane Black, was born in Springhill on November 7, 1905. His father was Edgar George Black, and his mother was Bessie Allan Pitt. Edgar was Bessie's 2nd husband. She fathered several children named Pitt including; Allan, Mona, & Martha. Allan lived in Washington state in the 1940's. Any more information about my family would be deeply appreciated.